About Napa Sonoma Insider and Writer David Pierson

You may be asking how am I qualified to be the Insider??  Well, aside from a total passion for food and wine, I’ve been a professional journalist for over 35 years. After I got out of j-school I loved writing about rock n’ roll. Hit 30 and grimly realized I couldn’t relate to 95% of the new music that was coming out. Does anything ever change? As my dad yelled at me, ‘You call that music?”

Switched to sports and entertainment writing. Did that till I hit 40 and got tired of the sheer lack of enthusiasm and cliched answers for every press flack trip or locker room interview. “We had to wait for the right script,” for their wretched sequel. Or, “We got to work harder. We’re letting down our fans and it’s not right.” Yes, you care so much about your fans…

Salvation came in the form of food and wine writing. Always loved restaurant dining. There’s something magical about putting yourself in a chef’s hands and seeing what they deliver. Same with service and atmosphere.  Often neglected, but often just as important as the food in the right context.

Passion for Food, Wine and the People that Bring It

But what I love most about food and wine writing is the passion that the purveyors of it bring to the table. No more rich rock stars, movie stars and athletes boo hooing about how tough their lives are. Barf. I love talking to chefs, bartenders, servers, sommeliers, winemakers, restaurateurs, winery owners, etc. They do it because they love it, not because they have to. Big difference!